Back to School Bash Celebrates 10th Year

On Saturday, August 5th, the parking lot at Colleton County High School was filled with cars as families arrived for the Back to School Bash. The annual Back to School Bash is hosted by the Back to School Bash Committee and this marks their tenth year. The event included tents located both inside and outside the gymnasium parking lot. A line could be seen wrapping around the building as tents set up by the Lowcountry Food Bank handed out fruits and vegetables to families by the handfuls. As well as a display of police patrol vehicles by Orangeburg and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. The local Aaron’s rental store sent their mascot to interact with children and take fun photos. While inside the Cougar Gym parents lined the entry way to register for the event. Businesses and organizations lined the gym floor including schools, local organizations and health agencies that provided free medical screenings to students. All of the information and services that were provided were done so by donations by businesses, organizations, and individuals within the community. Organizer and Colleton County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officer, Jimmy Wiggins, said, “It gets better and better every year. There were 538 students that attended. I was very pleased with it.”

According to Wiggins, as the event has grown each year, the planning for this event has also grown. The committee begins planning about a year in advance, sending out letters to business and organizations asking for contributions, which not only include monetary contributions but also donations of supplies. “We are thankful for all of the sponsors that made the event what it was and also the volunteers,” Wiggins said, “Basically we started out with the Sherriff’s Office School Resource Division when I started in 2008.” Four years later according to Wiggins, the School District Title One became involved with the bash and it has continued to grow each year. The Cosmetic Arts Institute on Hampton Street will be giving free haircuts to students on August 16th -17th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Colleton County School District students were able to leave with school supplies while parents were able to leave with a peace of mind that they were ready for the upcoming school year.